Villa’s dream drawn and quartered

THIS has been a season of extremes for Aston Villa.

Irresistible in the first half of the season, when qualification Champions League looked a probability, not a possibility, they are currently stuck in the sort of slump which would have sparked fears of relegation had they not been descending from such heady heights.

Martin O’Neill’s side were lying in fourth spot at the start of March, six points clear of a stuttering Arsenal, but this draw all but ended any lingering hopes of joining Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea in Europe’s premier competition.